HPV vaccine not as effective in kidney transplant patients

Washington : A new study has found that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination stimulates robust and sustained immune responses in girls and young women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and those on dialysis, but less optimal responses to the vaccine were observed among those with a kidney transplant.

The findings suggest that HPV vaccination provides considerable benefits for kidney disease and dialysis patients but may not be as beneficial for kidney transplant recipients.

Thd team led by researchers Delphine Nelson and Jeffrey Fadrowski (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) conducted a study that included 57 female patients aged 9 to 21 years, of whom 25 had CKD, 9 were on dialysis, and 23 had received a kidney transplant.

The investigators found that study participants with CKD and those on dialysis had antibody levels above the threshold that indicates protection from infection, but a significant proportion of patients with kidney transplants showed evidence of an inadequate antibody response.

“This is important information as it means that patients with a kidney transplant, whom we know are at increased risk of developing cervical cancer from HPV infection, may not be protected from HPV infections from the HPV genotypes included in the vaccine,” said Dr. Nelson.

She noted, “The next step is to determine the best way to protect these young women. Some potential interventions include a higher dose of the vaccine, or an additional booster.”

The work appears in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). (ANI)